The Odd Couple of stand-up comedy are hitting the road. That’s right, “Hacks” is back and everyone’s favorite diva comedienne, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), is going on tour, with the assistance of her insufferably woke millennial joke writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder). At the best of times, these two have a push-pull relationship. Now that they’re stuck on a bus together for the foreseeable future, well, their dynamic is even more explosive. (I mean, imagine being in an enclosed space with your frenemy 20 hours per day — it wouldn’t be pretty.)
For one, as you may recall, Ava sent a pretty vicious email about Deborah toward the end of the first season that’s at risk of being made public — it’s not too long into Season 2 before that bomb goes off. She’s also raw from her father’s recent death and, feeling guilty about the email, trying to be less shitty. Meanwhile, Deborah is at turns excited about working out new material around the country, and insecure about her place in comedy — is she still relevant? Does she have anything new to say? Her goal is to put together a killer set that will land her another Las Vegas residency, but is that even something she really wants, deep down? As for Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins), Deborah’s uber-efficient COO, he’s mourning the end of a relationship and questioning whether his career is truly as fulfilling as he claims.
Of course, it wouldn’t be “Hacks” if these characters’ existential crises weren’t mined for laughs. Prior to starting her tour, Deborah is in a fantastic mood, which is somehow more terrifying than when she’s being a tyrant. And the way she handles the email situation is just *chef’s kiss* perfect. Ava thinks her problems stem from technology, social media, and substance abuse, and while that isn’t not true, it’s not the whole story, either. Plus, drinking more water won’t negate the fact that she’s hauling half her father’s ashes around in her backpack. No judgment, but if she really wants to get better, she has to acknowledge the pain she’s literally carrying.
“Hacks” made quite the impression at last year’s Emmys: Jean Smart won Lead Actress in a Comedy, creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky, and Paul W. Downs received the Writing for a Comedy Series prize, and Aniello took home the Directing for a Comedy Series statuette. Thanks to its crackling sophomore season, I wouldn’t be surprised if it cleaned up at this year’s ceremony as well.
The first two episodes of “Hacks” Season 2 are now available on HBO Max. New episodes drop Thursdays.
